Welcome to Dauntless
by ericbebrave
Summary: Follow Eric and Four's initiation into Dauntless through the eyes of Eric.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is my first Divergent fanfiction, so bear with me. I really loved the idea of writing about the initiation of Eric/Four. This is in the perspective of Eric, because I think he's the best. Lots of Four/Eric interactions, so all you Four lovers, don't fret! Please give it a try! Don't forget to Review, and offer any suggestions you have! It will push me to update faster. Enjoy x**

_I am going to go insane. _I was very sure of it. The anticipation was eating me alive. I looked around at the other nervous 16 year olds, and I wondered how many of them, like me, were going to disappoint their family today. You make one choice, and just like that everyone hates you. Ahh, Choosing Day. The dreaded Choosing Day. _Faction before blood_ I always told myself. I like that. But I was immediately reminded of my soon to be old faction: Erudite.

_Erudite. _

I gulped hard. By this time my heart was pounding out of my ribcage. I was shaking as I looked down at my blue polo and grab the him. I own at least 17 of these; it'll be nice to finally put them away for good. My mind is everywhere at this point. I found myself looking around again with curious eyes. _Was everyone else this nervous?_ I close my eyes and dismiss all thoughts of Erudite and family and focus on what I want, and where I know I belong. I know I don't belong with the Erudite; the intelligent and logical, always having an answer and solution for everything. In all actuality, I did like Erudite. They were powerful. But…

My thoughts were quickly interrupted by the sound of my name.

And suddenly, I feel numb. I have no thoughts. I am empty. I shakily grab the knife that is being offered to me and keep my mind focused.

Focused on the burning coal.

I slowly walk over to the sizzling coals that echo in my ear, and with fierce satisfaction I slice my palm and I watch as blood trickles into the fire. _What am I getting myself into?_ It doesn't matter.

I've made my decision; I'm one of them.

I make my way over to the others that have chosen Dauntless, and I join them with relief. I smile and feel an urge to laugh hysterically. Why? Because right then and there I realized that I didn't look at my family once. Not when I heard my name, not when I let my blood flow into the dauntless bowl, and not when I walked toward my new faction in delight. And you know what? I know choosing Dauntless was quite possibly the worst thing I could have done. I know I will probably never see my family ever again. And I very well know that I'm a disappointment to them. I _try_ to care. But every ounce of me is indifferent. Total apathy. Thoughts about my family seem trivial now.

I look to my left and see a stiff. _A stiff chose dauntless_ should be my first thought. Naturally, it would be anyone's first response. But it isn't. Because I see who it is. Tobias Eaton. Rather than thinking _a stiff won't last ten minutes in Dauntless _I wonder why he's here. I know of his father, everyone knows his father. He's all important in government. I recall thinking how I, as an Erudite born, choosing Dauntless is the worst decision ever, but I was wrong. Choosing Dauntless as an Abnegation is worse. This is definitely going to be widely talked about. This won't go unnoticed.

I study him. His all gray, his short hair cut. It just screams "hey I'm a stiff, please taunt me!" But his eyes; they look so focused and so sure. He looks cut for Dauntless. He's tall. He looks tough, like he doesn't break easily. _We'll see_ I thought. I made a metal note to keep an eye on him. I walked over next to him, making myself visible to him. He needed to know who I was, and oh, he surely will. Me coming from Erudite, I almost feel better than him already.

"Eric" I say, introducing myself. I hardly look at him. Why should I?

He just nods. There's a clear lack of interest in his face. He clearly didn't come here to make friends. I raise an eyebrow at him.

"You're a stiff, I see? Ah, that's a little…surprising. I have to ask…why Dauntless?" I'm neither curious nor interested, I just want a reaction.

"Why is it surprising." He asked this as if it weren't a question, but more of a statement. He was thinking about something else, I'm sure of it. Not everyone is able to say goodbye to their family forever as easily as me, I conclude.

And then before I know it, everyone is running hopelessly, following one and other. I breathe in a feeling of freedom as we all make our way to the moving train. This excites me. My first act of bravery as a Dauntless. The feeling is liberating. But then I come to the realization that _I'm about to freaking jump onto a moving train._ I feel a simultaneous rush of adrenaline and fear. I can't shake the feeling of fear. I glace over at Tobias to see if he is at ease. He seems calm. I recall the choosing ceremony, and how he looked so focused. That is how he is now. I smirk as I run passed him so he sees me.

I hoist myself onto the train with some difficulty. Tobias makes it look effortless. _It's because he's freakishly tall _I assure myself. A Candor boy attempted to get himself on the train, grabbing everything he could for support. Just as I thought he was secure, before our eyes he falls off the train. Falls without a scream or a sound. Factionless. I look away and laugh with amusement. A dauntless born boy looks down at his feet in utter dismay because he wasn't able to help the boy. I just stare at him with my dark and judging eyes. _Shouldn't your main focus be to make sure you survive?_ When he is done wallowing in his self pity, he talks to Tobias and I learn that his name is Zeke. I stand against the wall with my arms folded taking everything and everyone in. Pretty soon, all of us will put away our blue, or black and white, or gray, or red and yellow in exchange for black. The thought is thrilling. I'm done with Erudite. Done with the books and done with the intellectual conversations at the dinner table. I'm sure others were feeling the same; maybe the Candor were just happy they weren't required to speak their mind all the time even if it is probably second nature by now. Or the stiff…was he happy to leave his life of simplicity behind? I could only imagine the feeling of freedom.

The Dauntless leader then tells us we will be jumping off soon. _Great _I think. _More jumping_. I really hope I get used to this. Tobias is the first to jump, and I follow after Zeke. _Who does Tobias think he is?_ It was then that I began to realize I had this intense desire to be better than him at everything. But perhaps that was just my natural instinct; it meant recognition. And recognition means attention; and attention meant authority. And authority was power. It was as simple as that. This will be so easy.

When everyone (well most) landed from the train and onto the building we now stood on top of, I took that moment to look around. People looked absolutely terrified. Even the stiff looks terrified to be up here. _The stiff is terrified. _What a pleasant thought.

"After jumping off of this building into the hole that awaits you at the bottom, you will see the Dauntless compound for the first time. If you're scared, I highly suggest you get over it. Don't think; your mind will interfere. Just do."

_Great advice_ I think.

No one moved. Everyone sort of looked around. People were whispering; betting on what awaits us at the bottom_. It's water_ one irritating Candor girl spats. Oh hey, someone moved. Tobias was walking. He was walking before me? A stiff? And with that he's gone. Out of my view. I hear someone shout "First jumper – Tobias!" First jumper. I stumble forward to give myself a proper view of the bottom. It's a net. Fabulous, just what I wanted. _Rope burn._ But I didn't wait. And I actually followed the guy's advice. _Don't think, just do. _I flung myself off the ledge of the building and land hard on the rope. I slight scream escapes me, but I contain myself with clenched teeth. Not too terrible. Tobias and the Dauntless leader are waiting beside the net. I shoot a quick look of jealousy at Tobias which I doubt he sees as I roll off the net with some assistance.

I'm not going to let myself come in second all the time. Second to him. I see the Dauntless leader talking to Tobias in high esteem.

"First jumper?" he says. "Impressive. First jumpers…they sort of just stick in our minds. Smooth landing as well. We've got our eyes on you," he says with a smile. Tobias had a look of satisfaction. The leader then turns to me. "Welcome to Dauntless." The words were comforting. I grin as others begin jumping from the building.

I make my way over to where Tobias was and bump into his shoulder purposefully hard enough for him to notice, but light enough to where it could have been regarded as an accident. He knows it wasn't. He doesn't move, but he glares at me. I was enjoying myself far too much. A malicious smile was now forming on my face.

Let initiation begin.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Fear Landscape! This was a lot of fun to write. I'm trying my best to capture Eric's personality as best and accurate as possible. Don't forget to review! **

"Now that you have all jumped successfully, it is time to visit your fear landscapes," the Dauntless leader explained to the crowd of 16 year olds, still recovering from the jump.

"But first, a quick introduction. My name is Amar. I will be assisting the Dauntless transfers during the initiation process. Zack over here will be in charge of the Dauntless born." Amar had tattoos covering every inch of skin that showed besides on his face. He had dark brown hair that curled outwards at the ends and had many piercings on his face. Overall, he looked as Dauntless as they come.

"Now, back to the Fear Landscapes. In this exercise you will be faced with a number of different situations, all having to do with one of your fears. To get passed a hallucination, you will need to do one of two things. You may either bring your heart beat and breathing to an acceptable level or somehow find a way to conquer your fear." We all stood without movement. With my peripheral vision I could see Tobias. Tobias. Always looking so collected. There was no mistaking the worry in his eyes though. We are all nervous. I look down at my feet and I can't help but wonder what his, and everyone else's fears, will be. But that thought isn't entertained for long. _What would be in my fear landscape?_ Of course water. I've almost drowned several times. It's not like I'm a great swimmer, or can even swim at all really. We just don't so that kind of thing in Erudite.

Amar continues. "First I will inject you all with a serum that will produce the hallucination. You will then be hooked onto our computer so we can see how you react to your fear and nothing more. There is nothing you can do to prepare for this exercise, so clear your head and be ready. Dauntless born, please follow Zack after I inject you with Serum, and Dauntless transfers, please follow me. Understood?"

No one nodded.

"Without further or do, I will come around and inject you all."

"The point of this exercise" inject. "Is to remind you all" inject. "That to be Dauntless" inject. "You must act bravely" he stops and looks at us all. "In the midst of fear." He makes his way over to me and I close my eyes as he injects me with the serum in my neck. I was never bothered by needles or sharp objects so the pain doesn't faze me. I take deep breaths as he injects the others and follow him up the stairs past the pit. Amar walks backwards, as if he has this place memorized down to every step, and talks to us about fear and bravery and overcoming it and a bunch of other things I don't listen to. I wondered how many fears I would have. I think I remember him saying on average, people usually have anywhere from 10-15 fears. I wanted to show them it was possible to be fearless. I knew I wasn't, but what if? _The fear of water. _And what else? I was ready for this. It's not like I was scared of water, I just couldn't swim. And it's been years since I've tried.

Eric. The guy with no fears. I craved something that wasn't humanly possible.

I smile as I look to my left at Tobias. I can finally prove that I can in fact do better than him.

And then it starts. A girl with pitch black hair was first. I knew her – well, knew _of_ her. Maddie. She was an Erudite. I've seen her around, she always sneered at me. I don't pity her in the slightest. She looked like she was ready to pass out with fear. It was consuming her and she hadn't even entered her fear landscape. She slowly walked over to Amar as he tells her good luck. They disappear into a side room and we see her sitting in a chair with Amar by her side. Then she's gone. Eyes closed. We have the ability to watch the fear landscapes as they happen, on a screen. It has no sound or anything else for that matter, except the person. We have no knowledge of the fear itself. I wasn't interested in watching. I can't help it, I'm scared beyond belief. But I remember something Amar said: _Don't let it overpower you. _Inhale. Exhale.

Lucky number one finished at a time of 17 minutes.

"Good, good," Amar says. "Not a terrible start. Like I said, there are a few different techniques that can be used. Eric, you're up." I feel as though I was walking to my death. I remind myself that this will end, and I will prove to them. This wasn't real, it was just a simulation. But will I know that when I'm in the midst of my fears?

I walk with shaking legs to Amar. "You ready?" He asks with a small grin. I don't respond. He leads me in the room. He tells me something. I can't make out what he says. I'm already fading. The room is dark and filled with nothingness. But not for long.

No, not long at all. Within half a second, maybe less, I'm in a jungle-like environment. It's serene. There is no movement. Just me, the trees, and the breaths I take. But I look down at my feet and my eyes open as wide as humanly possible and I gasp.

Snakes. Everywhere.

A fairly large red and orange snake slithers around my ankle. _Don't move_ I think. _Come on._ _I'm smart_ I remind myself. I belonged to Erudite. I use my brain and think of the first logical thing to do. And that is to be still. Breathe. If I run, I will fail. The snake is to my knees. It wraps around my legs and I am coiled. I keep my arms at my side. I am screaming. It's to my waist. My hands are in fists. I'm making indents on my palms from my nails digging in the skin. Inhale. Exhale. Eyes closed. The thumping of my heart. Everything is gone.

I'm now in an abandoned office building. Top floor. My eyes open wider and they burn. The burning sensation makes me worried. But I don't move. I know what's coming. I could smell it. Everyone in the building is running frantically to the stairs. A wall collapses in front of me as smoke engulfs the room. Red and orange fill the room, the color is mesmerizing. My eyes are watering from worry and the smoke. Noises escape my mouth. I curse. I consider crawling into a ball in fetal position. But I stand still; fists tight with clenched teeth. _I'm going to die._ Breathing is essential; even if it burns. My lungs burn, as the fire closes in. I know this because I can feel the heat penetrating, not because I see it. My eyes are closed. Sealed shut. They stay like this. My screams are louder than the roar of the fire. I breathe in my last smoked filled breathe as the fire surrounds me before the scene changed once more.

I'm completely underwater. I don't attempt to swim, I know I can't swim. If I scream, I will choke from the salt water. That thought panics me. The salt is burning my eyes. I breathe out of my nose and make sure my body is completely straight and still. I'm falling, not floating. Not once do I try to float. I'm slowly sinking to the bottom. I hold my breath. Sinking…

And now I'm on a beach. My long hair is soaking wet and tangled, and sticks to my face and wraps around my neck. I look to the horizon and feel relieved. But soon water fills my lungs. I can't cough, because I'm not breathing. _I'm choking._ I try to swallow the water, but I can't. I let myself choke. I don't breathe. I close my eyes and keep them shut as the pain is relieved.

I'm now standing in front of a crowd on a stage. What? I'm not scared of public speaking and I'm certainly not claustrophobic. Just then, I begin to recognize people. Tobias, Amar, and others mostly from Erudite are pointing at me, laughing. Pointing out my flaws, tearing me to pieces. They say everything they can conjure up. Tobias is laughing hysterically and Amar is shaking his head. _Embarrassment._ Wouldn't everyone be a bit freaked out if they were standing in front of a crowd in their underwear? I just realized this. Lovely. I scream at them, I tell them to shut the hell up, but it's pointless. The best thing I can do is to take it. Fear is a silly thing. My eyes are closed tight, and I don't move an inch. I haven't moved an inch since before the snakes. This is becoming a routine. I stand like a statue and take it. I feel like a statue; I have no feelings, no fears. My facial expression doesn't change. Nothing can break me.

But the hallucinations still go on. I experience a plane crash, a tornado, not being in control and becoming powerless, and laying in a bed of black widows.

I thought it was over. It wasn't. I was standing in a room as Amar spoke to the Initiates. "I would like to make some observations. Two people stood out for two very different reasons today. First – Tobias. You've proved to Dauntless that you are the strongest and bravest there is. We would like to offer you a special position. How would you like to be a leader?" Everyone was cheering. I just stand still most definitely not cheering. "And next," Amar says, clearing his throat. He waits for the crowd to quiet down. "Eric. You on the other hand…I'm not going to add any fluff to this. I'll make this really plain and short. You're going to be factionless. You are not cut for Dauntless. You are foolish. You're not even Erudite, because you are most certainly not intelligent." I look at him in the eye and I feel myself shaking. I want to tell him I hate him. I bite down on my lip so hard that I swear it bleeds. I breathe, in and out. In and out. I close my eyes and let out a final scream.

I feel the coldness of a metal chair. _I'm done._

I open my eyes and see Amar staring at me blankly. His eyes narrow as I stare back in satisfaction. I aim to please. He tells me I did well and that it took me 13 minutes to conquer 10 fears. "It's about average, your amount of fears. The way you conquered them though, very impressive." As we walk out of the room, I glared at Tobias with a feeling of bliss. He just stares back. He seems wary. Good.

Despite the fact that I had 10 fears, which in all honesty was 10 more than anticipated, I felt relieved. No, more than that. I feel good. I ignore my slight disappointment. I know I fear being second best. I know I live in constant fear of being outdone. This wasn't news to me. I'm used to being disliked because of this. And I know he said 10 fears was average, but I dread the word average. I can't be average; this isn't the place for that. Ordinary. That's how I look now, with my blue polo and jeans. I think of Amar: his black clothes, piercings, and tattoos. I liked the thought.

I smirk as I walk passed the staring initiates. Like always, enjoying myself far too much.


End file.
